Divergent Thinking Across the Curriculum

1. Divergent Thinking Across the Curriculum Draft Ideas 2-5-11

2. What is Divergent Thinking? • Thinking that moves away from one idea in new directions, often leading to innovative ideas and answers. • Generating many new ideas from one idea. • It’s often contrasted with “Convergent Thinking” which involves pulling together information from many sources into one idea. • Convergent thinking is often associated with “getting the right answer” while divergent thinking is associated with developing new or unexpected answers.

3. Role in Creativity • Divergent thinking tests are often used as a measure of creativity, as reported by Kuhn and Holling (2009). • Newer research suggests that divergent thinking is not a definition of or synonym for creativity, but likely a predictor of creativity. • Dineen, Samuel, and Livesey (2005)suggest that creativity requires both divergent/productive thinking, leading to novel ideas, “and convergent/reproductive thinking, to ensure appropriateness.”(Reported in Kampylis et al., 2009)

4. Role in Creativity Divergent thinking ability is not equivalent to creative ability, but it is indicative of the potential for creative performance according to Runco (2001. p. 346). http://www.dixonsclass.com/Lissa/4.%20Flexibility%20and%20Originality%20in%20Children%27s%20Divergent%20Thinking..pdf

5. Brainstorming • Show a brainstorming map

6. “What if” Questions? • Photo of Students questioning

7. Re-imagining objects • Photo of Using a hairbrush as a microphone or something

8. Beyond Creativity • Research by Kuhn and Holling (2009) suggests all cognitive abilities studied, except memory, were statistically significant predictors of divergent thinking. • Processing speed was most strongly related to divergent thinking. (Strict time limits on the assessments might have influenced this finding.) • Some gender differences were seen – girls showing more divergent thinking – although results were mixed, suggesting that gender differences may vary with social environment.

9. Neurocognitive Basis

10. Measuring Divergent Thinking • Number of ideas • Originality of Ideas • Ideational flexibility – a heterogeneous pool of ideas

11. Development of Divergent Thinking Ability • Ideation is a cognitive process, but independent of IQ; effort and strategy play a role, as concluded by Runco (2001.) • Runco also posed the question of the role of specific stimuli – audio, visual, mixed, three-dimensional (2001.)

12. The Learning Experience • Four key conditions for creative learning are proposed by Lucas (2001). Below, we’ve suggested links between each of these and Brain Targets proposed by Hardiman: • challenge (BT 5) • appropriate feedback (BT 6) • the ability to live with uncertainty (BT1) • and the elimination of negative stress (BT 1)

13. Creating the Right Environment • An international study for IBM analyzed factors important for creating the right working environment for stimulating and sustaining creativity. They identified three things: • Increasing levels of local empowerment, and this was greatly influenced by the degree of Risk-Taking, Freedom, Idea-Time, and Debate. • Focusing more on consumer needs (rather than technology) when driving innovation, and this was greatly influenced by higher levels of Idea-Support and Freedom. • -Approaching, rather than avoiding, ambiguous innovation projects, and this was influenced mostly by reduced levels of Conflict and higher levels of Risk-Taking and Idea-Time.

14. BT-1 • To the extent that creativity and divergent thinking are related, these conditions for creativity seem to translate effectively into a school environment in the following ways: • Support student leadership in identifying challenges and inquiries • Focus on answers and products rather than processes to get there • Embrace ambiguous questions by encouraging risk-taking and providing enough time for exploration.

15. Other BT 1 Considerations

16. BT- 5: Teaching for Application • The Arts

17. BT- 5: Teaching for Application • The Sciences

18. BT- 5: Teaching for Application • The Humanities

19. BT-6 Evaluation • Diagnostic assessment was held to increase learner confidence and intrinsic motivation, leading to increased creativity, according to research by Dineen, Samuel, & Livesey(2005). • Summative assessments, however, undermined the creative process. • ‘Students haven’t got the feeling throughout the course that they can develop and actually go off down blind alleys ... they’re much more constantly under surveillance’ according to a study subject reported in Dineen, Samuel, Livesey (2005).